Adjustable rod-clamp



G. F. NEWTON.

ADJUSTABLE ROD CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED- MAR. 21. 1918.

Patented May 17, 1921.

/ IV L E/V 7 W M" 7 MMMEL UNITED. STATES PATENT JOFFICE'.

. GEORGE NEWTON, or KANsAs crrY, ivrrssounr,

.ADJnsTABLE ROD-CLAMP. i

To allwhomtmayconcem:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F: NEWTON, a citizen of the United States residingat Kansas City in'the'connty of Jackson and State of MISSOUQLl, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Rod-Clamps, of which the following is-a specification.

This invention relates -to adjustable rod clamps and has 'for its object to produce a two-member clamp of suchconstruction that it canbe easily and quickly so embedded at a plurality of. points in an iron rod or the. like, that it shall be impossible for the 'lat-" ter to slip or move endwise under any pull short'of that caioable of stripping a shaving from thero V A further object is to produce a twomember clamp adapted to secure a rod or the like, firmly in place under the application of a blow onone of the members;

A still further object is to produce a clamn comprising a tubular member to be fitted on a'rod and avslidable wedge member extending cross-wise through the tubu- 5 lar member and adapted when advanced, to

bend the rod where thesame is inclosed by the tubular member; and thus lock the rod against endwise movement through the member. I e

lVith these general objects in view. the invention consists-in certain novel and useful features of constructionand combina-:

Fig. 2,: is asection on the line II.-II of Fig. 3', is a detailed perspective view" of theclamp. f a I Fig. lisa face View of the wedge. In the said drawing, 1 indicates one side of a concrete Imold of any suitable type,

' 2 indicates a reinforce'or stiffening bar for The drawing shows afragment of only Specification of Letters Patent.

expansion of the mold under'the pressure applied by thei concre'te as the same is dee p ted and'tamped therein. I

appliances collars havebeen fitted on: the

Patented May 1'7; 1921. a lication filed March 21, 1913'. Serial no. 223,854.

Various appliances for' guardingagainst expansion ofthe mold by engagement with 1 the outer side of the same and-the reinforce r0ds, have been employed, andgamong other projectingends of the rodsyprovided with set screws for clamping the rodsaga'inst" the collars at oneside of the passage thereof." I have found that to guard againstslippage of the rod orexpansion of the form in high walls or tall columns or the like, it is essent1al' toeffect embedment' of theclampingw devices into the rod at a plurality of points and that the rods shall be slightly bent be tween the most remote points where embedment occurs.

In my preferred construction .I employ a collar 5 having its inner or form-engagingend broadened by flanging it: outward at 6. The collar-is-rprovided witha through passage 7 for loosely receiving the =project-' ing end of a rod 3. The upper half of the. passage ispreferably rounded and the-lower j 185 section, 8 indicating the covering wallsofhalf is of substantially V-shape in cross the lower. half of the passage, and projecting-upward from said walls Sand spaced a suitable distance. apart are sharpened and 9O The collar is preferably formed at itsup preferably parallel ribs 9'. i

per side, that is at the side'diametrically a opposite the ribs 9; with; an enlargement 10, and extending through the collar and I I the. said enlargement thereof is a transverse assa e'll the same communicatin lwith the assa e 7 and taperinHfrom one' end;

P g g to the other, the taper occurring: at the up per side ofthe .slot'or'passage'l1, so that when -a-wedge shapedkey 12-, fittingin said.

slot .or passageisadvanced therein through the applicationofZablow or the like on 1ts' downward clamping pressure on the rod1ex-;

broad end,-the wedge key shall be caused tending through thelower part or, half '"of' the passage 7, it being noted in this con-I nection that the wedgekey is disposed'in aplane between the'zplanes {of ribs 9', S01. 7

that said wedge key when advancedas explained, shall slightly bend or kink the rod; downward between said ribs, and in such;

action cause said ribs to embed themselves in the lower part of the rod at opposite sides ofvits axis, the embedment of said ribs in the rod producing notches 13 in the latter.

In order that the wedge key member of theclamp may not only bend the rod downward as explained, but also embed itself therein vertically above the axis of the rod,

' the lower edge of the wedge key is beveled V laterally to produce a sharpened edge 14, the kerf formed in the rod by the key pr0- ducing a substantially abrupt shoulder 15 at thejouter side of the key, so that it shall be impossible forthe collar to slip toward the outer end of the rod, unless the force tending to effect such movement is sufficient tostrip shavings off the rod from the wedge .key'at the top and the innermost rib at the bottom, it being understood that the taper ofithe wedge key will be such that the rod would" be stripped as explained, before the Wedgekeycouldwork backward through the passage or.slot 11.'

lThisadjustable rod clamp. may be made in various sizes though it is, preferable that.

each clamp shall, be susceptible of use on rods-of differentsizes, it being noted that the V-shaped part of passage 7 centralizes the collar member on the rod, as distinguished from'a round passage,in which a small rod would have a chance for undesirable lateral play or movement. In Fig. 2,

the dotted inner circle represents a rod of large diameter, and'the dotted lines of the wedgeikey indicates substantially the position of the latter'when fully advanced to hold the collar in a fixed position onrthe large rod, so that neither'the one nor the other can slip.

- The wedge-key is provided at its small or narrow endv with a lateral protuberance 16 incapable of passing through said slot, for

- the purpose of guarding against the accidental dislocation tubular member. I i

The flange 6 is provided with a pair of holes 17 through which nails may be driven into the form preliminary toperforming the clamping function, the nails in this event serving to holdzthe clamping device in properrelation to the rod upon which it is fitted during the clamping operation. The

of the wedge key from the 1 clamping device of course, can be held by hand in suchposition during the clamping operation, but the use of the nails makes the work easier andexpedites the same.

'One of the chief functions of the nails is T I toi"hold the clamping device, that is the collar member thereof against accidental movement with respect to the holes in the form so that a long section of the latter may be taken down and reerectedwithout put- 'ting theoperators to the labor of removing and replacing each individual clamping device. Ina large building this will obviate the necessity of handling hundreds of individual clamping devices each day and will thus save the contractor erectingthe building or wall a large; amount of time and money, as when a section equipped with a large number of forms is properly placed,

the holes in the forms and the passages-in the clamping device will be properlyalined so that the rods canbe readily slipped in position, and then each clamping device is clamped as explained, rigidlv upon its respective rod.

As it is impossible by hand pressure to' force andhold the collar againstthe form to close all joints therein as tightly as desired, I have provided a tightener. forinter position between the form and collar, this tightener to be driven home bythe blow of a hammer. The tightener is in the form of a wedge 18, and the same is forked to straddle the rod andguard; against tilting the collar: I have found however, thata forked wedge, unless; undulylargeand heavy, will notperform its function efiiciently because of the tendency of the legsto spread. apart under the resistance offered bythe form and collar, and to overcome this difficulty provision is made for interlocking the legs'and.

collar as regards lateral movement of either, The preferred method of thus interlocking said parts, is to make the legs substantially V-shape in cross section and producedownwardly-tapering and substantially V-shaped grooves 19 in theinner face of the collar, it being noted that the grooves 19 enablethe operator to fit the points ofrthe wedge ber tween the form and collar withoutnecessr.

tating. the use of a tool or. of employing force as would otherwise be necessary. After the wedge is thus started it can be lnstantly driven home by means of a'hammer, and.

thus subserve the function of a tightener.

When the concrete wall or the likeris set,

a blow applied on the smallendof the key able rod clamp and tightener embodying the features of advantage set-forth,-=and while I have illustrated and described the 'pre-,

ferred construction, it will be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in "the form, proportion, detail construction and arrangement of the parts, as properly fall wlthin the spirit and scope of the appended claim. I

I claim 4 An adjustable rod clamp, comprising a u ular member 1 be fitted loosely on a rod, the sides of the lower portion of the passage of said member, converging downward to a point and each of said sides having a pair of V-shaped sharpened upwardly projecting transverse ribs, the ribs being ratchet-toothed shape in cross section and disposed with their abrupt faces facing outwardly, said member also having a transverse slot intersecting its passage and occurring in a planebetween the planes of said 10 versely of the upper side of the said rod and for bowing the latter downward between the 15 said ribs and embedding it on'said ribs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' GEORGE F. NEWTON. 

